April 11, 2025 – Two incurable diseases loom over our aging populace: Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Right now, Alzheimer’s is more common and seems a more widespread concern than the relatively narrow shadow cast by Parkinson’s.
That may change, as revealed by a surprising new study.
North American cases of Parkinson’s disease are projected to increase 30% by 2050, and will double globally, according to the study, published last month in the journal The BMJ.
That’s about 25 million people worldwide by 2050 – the kind of prediction that gets attention in the realms of public health, insurance, hospitals, and politics.
But what should it mean to you?
A lot, said Parkinson’s expert Alfonso Fasano, MD. Alzheimer’s is the most common nerve-degrading disease, he said, citing recent dementia figures. If dementia rates…